A second-half brace from Omang Dodum guided India to a convincing 3-0 victory over Pakistan in their opening Group B match of the SAFF U20 Championship, securing a semifinal berth on Thursday. Dodum scored in the 64th and 88th minutes after Vishal Yadav had given the Blue Colts an early lead in the
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has drawn a parallel between her party's fight against the BJP and the epic battle of the Pandavas and Kauravas. She expressed confidence in public support even if President's rule is imposed. The Election Commission is preparing supplementary voter lists
Meta, YouTube negligence: Years of evidence underpins Big Tech addiction fineThe bulk of the internal documentary evidence presented at trial related to Meta. Updated on: Mar 27, 2026 6:21 AM IST By HT Correspondent Share via Copy link New Delhi : A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and
Deepak Tijori questions CBFC's logic behind ‘half-muted’ cuss words in Dhurandhar The Revenge: ‘Who are we protecting?’Deepak Tijori criticised the CBFC's half-muting of cuss words in the adult film Dhurandhar: The Revenge, questioning the rationale behind such censorship. Mar 27, 2026
Posters have surfaced across Lucknow comparing the Samajwadi Party’s rule in Uttar Pradesh to Pakistan’s “Lyari Raj", targeting Akhilesh Yadav with a reference to its depiction in the film Dhurandhar. The development comes days after a separate political jibe by Parvesh Verma
Google India and BCCI are joining forces for IPL 2026, integrating AI-powered Search Mode to revolutionize fan engagement. Cricket enthusiasts can now access real-time tactical analysis, historical data, and AI-generated summaries of key moments directly through Google Search and broadcasts
She hired workers to fix her roof, then allegedly reported crew to ICEThe Maryland resident called ICE on a crew of Guatemalan immigrants who were fixing her roof. Six workers aged between 18 and 40 were detained. Published on: Mar 27, 2026 7:07 AM IST By Trisha Sengupta Share via Copy link A woman
Samantha Ruth Prabhu dreams women negotiating contracts across film industries becomes 'most boring headline' somedaySamantha Ruth Prabhu shared how women adjust, sacrifice and apologise in their careers. The actor expressed her dreams for women in cinema. Mar 27, 2026
Americans are tennis aristocrats. They have won a record 32 Davis Cups and players representing the United States have collected a world-leading 147 men's singles Grand Slam titles. Bill Tilden, Don Budge, Jack Kramer, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras bagged 59 Majors among them, formed era-defining rivalries, and had a transformational impact on a sport they loved dearly and played with passion.
American drought to American dream: can Fritz, Shelton upend recent history at the U.S. Open? Premium
Americans are tennis aristocrats. They have won a record 32 Davis Cups and players representing the United States have collected a world-leading 147 men's singles Grand Slam titles. Bill Tilden, Don Budge, Jack Kramer, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras bagged 59 Majors among them, formed era-defining rivalries, and had a transformational impact on a sport they loved dearly and played with passion.
In the past two decades, however, the lords have seen a dramatic shrinking of their once extravagant riches. No American man has won a Grand Slam singles championship since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open. And until Taylor Fritz made it to the title round in New York last year, the U.S. had endured more than 15 years' misery, having not had a male player in the summit clash since Roddick at 2009 Wimbledon.
ALSO READ | Tennis could use mixed doubles as the flag-bearer, but the U.S. Open should have let everybody enter: Rajeev Ram
On a swing and a prayer
But before every Major, especially the one at Flushing Meadows, there is a fervent prayer for this drought to end and for the U.S.' glorious past not be reduced to merely a quaint historical enquiry. Ahead of Sunday, when the latest edition of the season's last Slam, the U.S. Open, gets underway, there is certain to be another desperate invocation of the holy spirits to shower some grace and advance their case.
Prima facie, the Americans are closer than ever. The U.S. has four members in the top-20 — Fritz at No. 4, lefty Ben Shelton, who won the Toronto Masters this month, at No. 6, Tommy Paul at No. 14 and Frances Tiafoe at No. 17. Fritz's run to the U.S. Open final in 2024 and his semifinal finish at Wimbledon this July are encouraging signs. Tennis may still be a niche sport in the States, but it hasn't fallen out of favour, as seen from the fact that the U.S. has as many as 13 players in the top-100, joint-highest with France.
But a combination of factors, like the dominance of the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in winning 66 of 81 Majors from Wimbledon 2003 to U.S. Open 2023, and the meteoric rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have swept the last seven Slams and ensured a wrinkle-free transition into the next era, appear to have left Fritz, Shelton, et al. with little wriggle room to work with.
It may also be that America's long-time reliance on the Kramer-inspired ‘Big Game' of the 1940s and 50s — a cannonball serve followed by a crushing putaway — has not helped the blossoming of more complete styles of play. The U.S. produced fleet-footed geniuses who mastered the faster surfaces, but not clay, which is said to inculcate all-court skills like patience, discipline and point construction.
Getting closer: Ben Shelton starts the season's final Major in excellent form, having won the Toronto Masters this month. He has also lost to the eventual winner in each of the three Grand Slams this year. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
There are of course glorious exceptions in seven-time French Open champion Chris Evert — arguably the best woman on clay ever — who grew up on the green clay courts in Florida, quite a rarity in today's world. Among men, two-time Roland-Garros winner Jim Courier and Agassi, who claimed all four Majors, are vivid examples.
But the average American tennis player is still bred on medium to fast acrylic, which is the surface for the four ATP Masters 1000s (Indian Wells, Miami, Canada and Cincinnati) and the one Slam North America hosts. Fritz, Shelton, Paul and Tiafoe have reached six Major semifinals and one final. None of those have come on the Parisian red dirt.
ALSO READ | Future, at last: On tennis' brand-new era
While it is true that three of the four Slams are still played on fairly quick courts, modern-day tennis, driven by superior racquet technology, use of heavier balls and a baseline-dominant technique, is moving towards a certain homogenisation. Though there are bespoke skills that still bring rewards, the differentiation between surfaces isn't as stark as it used to be.
An almighty jostle
Federer and Nadal had their preferences, and so do Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner. But even on their less-favoured courts — clay for Federer, grass for Nadal — there were no glaring weaknesses. Djokovic is arguably the most complete player in history, and early signs are that Alcaraz and Sinner will join him. All of this has meant that the tennis of the last two decades has been an almighty jostle, with no customised windows of opportunity for specialists to strike gold.
But former World No. 1 and eight-time Major winner Agassi opined that things would turn and equated the current state of American men's tennis to the late 1980s when McEnroe and Connors were on the wane and the nation was looking for new heroes.
“I think you need each other to succeed,” Agassi said last December at an event in Bengaluru. “I was the first one to turn pro and I made [Michael] Chang, Pete and Courier believe they could do it. Chang was the first one to win [French Open 1989], and he made Pete and Courier believe that they could.
“And Courier said, ‘Well, I can be No. 1 in the world'. I'm saying, ‘Wait a second, what the hell about me?' So we all helped each other in a lot of ways. And I think these Americans now are starting to prove [that] to the other Americans.”
Fritz & Co. can also draw inspiration from the women. In the period since Roddick's only Major triumph, American ladies have won 25 Slams. While 20 of these are Venus and Serena Williams', the successes of Sloane Stephens (2017 U.S. Open), Sofia Kenin (2020 Australian Open), Coco Gauff (2023 U.S. Open and 2025 French Open) and Madison Keys (2025 Australian Open) show the emergence of a new wave of champions.
Lifted by competition: Andre Agassi is of the opinion that the current group of American men are beginning to push each other to improve, much like an earlier golden generation, headlined by Pete Sampras and himself, had. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Four women are in the latest WTA top-10 — Gauff (No. 3), Jessica Pegula (4), Keys (6) and Amanda Anisimova (9). Pegula and Anisimova could have added to the Major tally if not for their defeats to Aryna Sabalenka (2024 U.S. Open) and Iga Swiatek (2025 Wimbledon).
ALSO READ | Coco Gauff splits with coach Daly ahead of U.S. Open
Hope can also be had from the fact that the field below Alcaraz and Sinner looks airy. The celestial duo may have established a near stranglehold at the top and ensured that the European supremacy of men's tennis doesn't miss a beat, but the rest of the Tour is chaotic and messy. The legendary Djokovic, 38, appears to be fading; No. 3 Alexander Zverev has flattered to deceive despite reaching three Slam finals while Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, and Casper Ruud, three-time Major finalist, seem to have stagnated.
The next step
“I think it's only a matter of time before someone takes the next step,” American Sebastian Korda, a former World No. 15 who is on a comeback trail from injury, told The Hindu.
“Taylor making the final last year was something that hadn't happened for long. That's already huge progress. Ben [Shelton] lost to the two [eventual] champions both at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. So they're obviously both extremely close, making quarters and semis of Slams pretty consistently. So, I think, it's gonna be a great couple weeks for the Americans.”
Published - August 22, 2025 11:57 pm IST
Weekend Sport
Source: The Hindu
Related Posts: Nine world cups later Goodbye Pads, Hello Period Cups Karnataka will offer schoolgirls menstrual cups Imagine 300 years of World Cups sold in two weeks Man Draws Portraits On Coffee Cups Tennis-Kenya tennis body admit mistake in granting wildcard to viral When Americans Are Ready Five ways the shutdown is hurting Americans Millions of Americans brace for healthcare insurance costs to spike Americans paying for AI in India
A $100 crude scenario could trigger deep earnings cuts across Indian stocks UBS lists Tata Motors, IndiGo and OMCs as most vulnerable UBS highlights Indian stocks facing biggest earnings risk in a $100 oil scenario India sits among the markets facing pressure in a $100 per barrel oil world
1 days ago
The interruption of oil and gas supplied through the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel war with Iran has dramatically pushed up global energy prices. Petrol has gone up already and UK domestic heating bills are almost certain to follow. But it's not just fuel that's been impacted by the
1 days ago
Meet the A-list lawyer Luka Doncic is counting on to win his legal battle with Anamaria Goltes Updated on: Mar 27, 2026 7:28 AM IST Edited by Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan Share via Copy link Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball down court during the second half against the Indiana
1 days ago
Fasting can offer several health benefits, but knowing when to stop is just as important as knowing when to start. “People can gain health benefits from fasting, but they must understand both the right time to begin and the right time to end it," says Dr. Sameer Bhati, Public Health Analyst
1 days ago
The campaigning in poll-bound West Bengal is in full swing, and amid the preparations, Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Thursday promised a complete transformation and “Uttar Pradesh-style encounters" against criminals if the saffron regiment comes to power in the state
1 days ago
Iran on Thursday rejected the US’ proposal to end the war, referring to it as “one-sided and unfair". The proposal was “reviewed in detail on Wednesday night by senior Iranian officials and the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader," reported Reuters, citing an official
1 days ago
The initiative builds on existing SEBI measures, including validated UPI handles and a whitelist of stockbrokers’ mobile applications maintained by exchanges. New Delhi: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey launched the Verified App Label Initiative on
1 days ago
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday fielded the mother of the doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital and Medical College in August 2024 as a candidate for the West Bengal Assembly elections. The mother of the doctor will contest the polls from the Panihati constituency
1 days ago
Not every Bollywood story is glamorous, and Aarti Chabria is saying it as it is. The actor recently spoke about how several of her roles were reduced or removed from films, calling it a part of industry realities she had to deal with during her career.Not every Bollywood story is glamorous
1 days ago
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned that the consequences of the escalating conflict in West Asia could be difficult to predict and may end up having a global impact comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking amid growing international concern over the Iran-US-Israel conflict
1 days ago
PMC to expand healthcare network even as existing facilities remain underutilisedPMC has announced plans to expand its healthcare network with new cancer and multi-specialty hospitals, even as many of its existing facilities continue to remain underutilised Published on: Mar 27
1 days ago
The latest QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 confirm India’s growing strength on the global stage. This year, 12 Indian institutions have secured 27 positions in the global top 50 across various subjects – more than double the number in 2024
1 days ago
US president Donald Trump says he will meet Chinese president Xi Jinping in China on 14-15 May, after delaying the landmark trip amid the US-Israel war with Iran. This would be the first visit to China by a US president in nearly 10 years. Trump is also set to host Xi in Washington DC later this
1 days ago
US mortgage rates jump to 6.38% as Iran war rattles housing marketBorrowers with a $1 million loan would now pay about $6,242 per month, not including insurance and taxes. That is up from $5,983 in late February. Published on: Mar 26, 2026 10:51 PM IST Bloomberg Share via Copy link US mortgage
1 days ago
Nemom constituency is not stronghold of any party: V SivankuttyCPI(M) legislator V Sivankutty faces tough competition in Kerala's Nemom from BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Congress's KS Sabarinadhan in upcoming polls. Published on: Mar 27, 2026 7:04 AM IST By Vishnu Varma
1 days ago
Who is Ana Montana? Inside LaMelo Ball’s relationship, the 'toxic' post, and parenthood rumors Published on: Mar 27, 2026 7:13 AM IST Edited by Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan Share via Copy link Ana Montana is a successful model with over 3 million followers on Instagram
1 days ago
A former Indian Supreme Court Justice has informed the UK High Court about the risks faced by Nirav Modi. Justice Deepak Verma stated that Modi faces prolonged interrogation and a significant risk of custodial torture in India. This opinion was provided in response to Modi's plea to reopen his
1 days ago
Vaccination is often associated with childhood, but experts say protection against infections must extend far beyond the early years. From safeguarding newborns to protecting ageing adults, immunisation plays a critical role across every stage of life.Vaccination is often associated with childhood
1 days ago
Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's former company, Firestar Diamond International, is set to auction its precious inventory of gems and jewellery on April 27. The e-auction, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, will feature natural loose diamonds and finished pieces
1 days ago
American Coco Gauff cruised past Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her first Miami Open final. The Florida-born 22-year-old dropped only two games to triumph 6-1 6-1 in one hour and 30 minutes. Having been broken in the first game, Gauff won 10 games in a row to take control of the match
1 days ago
The day before Wales faced Bosnia-Herzegovina in their World Cup play-off semi-final, their head coach said: "Do not get involved in chaos. A chaotic game will not suit us, it suits them." When the moment came to pass, when Wales had control, they did not heed those words
1 days ago
This is the second part of a debate on whether Hindi or English are weakening other Indian languages and constricting linguistic diversity. Read the first part here. English has done remarkable damage to India’s linguistic progress by stifling other Indian languages. Instead
1 days ago
When Ranvir Singh Yadav was sacked in 1976, he was a young bus conductor in Delhi with two sons to raise. The reason? The courts vindicated him four decades later, but not before he and the system had spent nearly ₹5 lakh in legal fees over a trivial sum.When Ranvir Singh Yadav was sacked in 1976
1 days ago
Royal Challengers Bengaluru is a prominent IPL team. They are recognized for their strong fan base and talented players. The team plays at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. They are known for their aggressive batting style. Rajat Patidar leads the team this season
1 days ago
The directive has been issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which has termed the practice an “unfair trade practice” under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. New Delhi: In a major relief for consumers, the government has directed hotels and restaurants to stop adding
1 days ago
Comedian Kunal Kamra took to his social media and took a jibe at YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia. While reacting to Ranveer’s long post, he called him a “stupid guy" and asked him to stop “pretending to be the nice guy." He also called Ranveer a “contraceptive for creativity
1 days ago
Ananya Panday turns heads at The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment soirée in a sculpted Maticevski Saucy Minx dress paired with Aquazzura pumps Ananya Panday delivers a masterclass in understated glamour at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment soirée
1 days ago
